Explore and overcome obstacles in an undefined space of reflection and doubt in Within, Nicolas Lesec's puzzle platform game that begins with a simple concept then layers on the challenges. Using [WAD] or [arrow] keys to move, and [E] to interact with elements, you're tasked with manipulating gravity, deactivating laser beams and following off stage routes until you reach the red door. Go through to another, very similar scenario containing more questions or regret-tinged remarks.

If the moody introspection and melancholic music were replaced with something more witty and jazzy, it'd better fit the acrobatic feats of timing and spatial reasoning, yet the puzzles are quite enjoyable and the difficulty ramp is well balanced. The sudden ending did leave me wondering what all this effort was about. Perhaps that's the point. If the payoff you're looking for is a clean design to please your eyes and something to entertain your agility and brain power, plunge into Within and enjoy your fifteen minutes of puzzle platformer gratification.

17 Comments

Yep, "fifteen minutes of puzzle platformer gratification" is about right. Very nice, clean design, not innovative but well executed. The emo loss-of-love story is tacked-on, at best, though. I guess not all the narratives can be about captured princesses or mad scientists!

I sure hope Nicolas is a girl. This is a decent enough, if not too original or challenging, game. But to make this the basis of some pseudo-emotional, hand-washing, love-gone-wrong, angry emo girl story is just...bad. Hike up your skirt, little lady and try again!!

I'm not sure if I should be offended by your comment, or just to keep re-reading it in hopes of discovering a worthwhile snippet of information in there that wasn't typed by some sort of cro-magnon, pre-1940's, "women belong in the kitchen" old fashioned misogynist.

To be honest, I agree with the second and third sentences of your assessment of the game; The first and fourth sentences have absolutely no place in civilized discussion though.

I have absolutely no connection with Nicolas, and to be honest, don't know or care whether Nicolas is male or female. I do know, however, that on multiple occasions, specifically with smaller independent game releases, game authors do visit here to get feedback on their games. They come here because, by and large, the community here gives meaningful and well reasoned feedback. Nicolas (if he or she does visit), is unlikely to come back after reading your comment, and is unlikely to communicate with any members of the community after such blatantly sexist comments.

If you know games that you believe should be featured here, please use our game submit form�we'll check them out and, if they're something the JIG audience would respond well to, we'll do our best to bring those games to the spotlight.

As for this one, I did enjoy it and while it is not original or innovative, I felt it was well-presented with a solid UI and responsive controls even if the text didn't quite work for me.

Roytheshort: I have no problem at all with critiques of games, even harsh ones, or criticisms that I don't personally agree with. What I specifically reacted to was the explicit sexism of those specific lines in HammyJay's comment.

I'm not a game developer, but I have done business software development on a few different platforms in the past. I appreciated the feedback that I got from people who used my applications, and that helped me (in my opinion) make better applications.

IMHO, criticism is fair game in a public forum such as this; Where I personally draw the line is with blatantly sexist comments.

I don't think this was a very good game. There have been so many games exploring dating that new games taking on the subject matter need to do something original with it, and I don't think "Within" really did. The main character was having trouble with relationships and then decided to lie about something, ruining things with the person they liked... but it was vague enough that I couldn't tell the specifics of the situation, and it really had nothing to do with the gameplay (which I did enjoy.)

But that has nothing to do with the gender of the developer, and making sexist comments is gross.

This is just a simple platformer. It's OK at that. What I can't understand is the current trend of trying to add a "deeper meaning" to a game by adding "deep, meaningful sentences" to each level. Why can't a simple game just be what it is?

I think I should remake Minesweeper in the same fashion. Slow, depressing music. The text on the levels would include: "I'm walking in a minefield." "Nothing is certain." "Everything blows up in my face." "Why can't I ever see what's going on around me?"

I suppose it worked for Braid, and maybe that's where it started (although I didn't care for it there, either).

For "Just lie" (which I thought was the trickiest level):

Take the leftmost gravity reverser, and leap over the chasm to pull the lever. Go to the right until you're standing upside down on the bottom of the screen. Position yourself under the gravity reverser at the top of the screen and jump. When you're back at the bottom, use the left gravity reverser and fly up to the top center reverser. After going through this one, fly to the left. Keep walking until you're at the leftmost edge, but not offscreen. Walk off to the left, and immediately go right when you start falling. There's the door!

FYI HammyJay, Nicolas *is* a dude. Shocking to think that a guy is capable of writing a "pseudo-emotional, hand-washing, love-gone-wrong, angry emo girl story," no? Oh the horror! What is your world coming to?

Even though the design is simplistic and this puzzle has been used before, I feel that the narrative did a decent job of conveying the level layout. What I did enjoy most was that in the love triangle themed story, it was the protagonist who was chasing after the red door. The relationship got out of hand when the protagonist started to use the "gravity switch" to reach the red door. Having the the red door which left you in the end.

I for one really liked that aspect of it, even the music feels as if "Within" was also "Dear Esther" inspired.

If Nicolas Lesec does come here to get feedback, my advice would be to continue with this kind of idea where meaningful narrative can still exist within simple game play, look at "Thomas was alone" for example. Don't give into the nay-sayers and continue to do what you love. :)

also on Jayisgames

>
Rebecca—
We exist in the world as people defined by the places we go. We go to work, we go to the mall, we go to the doctor's office, we go on vacation. Always thinking in absolutes, we so rarely spend...
...

>
Arceus—
If your primal instincts have been hungering lately, you'll be pleased to know that four new monkey GO Happy games await your appetite! Read on to learn more about this issue's stages....
...

>
PoofyGaming—
You're Quidget the Wonderwiener, a genius dog and best friends with Peninja and it so happens to be that you need to deliver a present to him, but how...? Well, you are a genius, and you own a labratory, AND...
...

>
chrpa—
This week on Weekday Escape is Retro Edition time and that means three wonderful games from past!! At the beginning Esklavos takes you to the North Pole to see Santa and to give some discipline to his little helpers. After...
...

JayIsGames offers a free online experience with the best free online games. You can read our daily honest reviews and walkthroughs, play games, discuss about them. JayIsGames.com is a leading Flash and Online game review site. Since 2003, we review every day only the best, including casual games, flash games, arcade games, indie games, download games, shooting games, escape games, RPG games, puzzle games, mobile games and much more.
Submit a Game: Don't just read reviews or play games on JayIsGames.com, submit them! Submit your game now and we might release it in homepage. Use our game submission form.
Check us back often! We add new games every day and only the best games!